


Traces You've Left

by ThruLight (FlashThroughLight)



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Established Relationship, Horror, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Injuries, Minor Kim Hongjoong/Jung Wooyoung, Necromancy, Non-Linear Narrative, Past Character Death, Resurrection, past illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27000751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashThroughLight/pseuds/ThruLight
Summary: “It’ll hurt,” Seonghwa said. “The rapid reformation of tissue will leave everything stiff and you might feel claustrophobic, confined into your body again and-”“Seonghwa. I know. Iknowbecause we talked this over. Many times. I can list them all, including the dates if you really want me to.” The smile only grew wider as Yeosang teased Seonghwa.Seonghwa took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll see you on the other side, then. This side.”Yeosang curled his fingers around Seonghwa’s wrist, the digits going through him and sending a spike of numbness through his forearm. “I’ll be able to hold you properly.”“Yes, you will.”
Relationships: Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 8
Kudos: 71
Collections: All Hallows ATEEZ Exchange





	Traces You've Left

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Atinydokii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atinydokii/gifts).



> Written for the All Hallows Ateez exchange for Atinydokii! 
> 
> The prompt was:
> 
> Park Seonghwa is a necromancer who moves into a new home which is haunted by a young man who had died early in life (you may choose how he died). Seonghwa communicates with this ghost (Yeosang) and they both decide that they will bring Yeosang back through a ritual. Unfortunately, becoming human once again is not as easy as it seems. The side effects of being brought back to life as well as the ritual can be as dark/gorey as you desire. The rest is at your freedom! :)
> 
> And I hope you enjoy my take on it!!

“And you’re sure it’s going to work?”

The first candle lit easily as Seonghwa held a match to it, then the magic of the ritual took over, harnessing the small flame and distributing it amongst the rest of the candles. Seonghwa shook the match out and placed it amongst the other components nestled in a deep, brass bowl in front of him. 

“Yeosang, love, it’s going to work,” Seonghwa reassured the ghost, who wasn’t going to remain a ghost for much longer. 

After fourteen months of cohabitation and coaxing Yeosang out of his shell, Seonghwa had finally managed to convince the ghost to allow him to perform a resurrection ritual. This would be the first that Seonghwa had done for his own gain in his years of practicing, and he’d been respectful of Yeosang’s wishes when they discussed it. Granted, his reasoning had been a little selfish, but everyone was allowed to be selfish every once in a while. 

Yeosang hadn’t appeared to be committed to the thought at first, admitting to Seonghwa that he wasn’t sure if he would be comfortable integrating into the current society and all its advancements, so Seonghwa had let it drop. They’d continued on with their daily lives until three weeks prior where Seonghwa woke up to Yeosang hovering over him, with a determined look. 

_“I want to live again, Seonghwa. With you. Live the life I didn’t get the chance to before.”_

Yeosang had died from an illness, incurable during his time, and had spent much of his life indoors. Frequently, Seonghwa caught Yeosang looking outside, feeling a pang in his heart with the knowledge that Yeosang was unable to leave the confines of the house that they resided in. 

Naturally, he’d double checked with Yeosang throughout the process of him gathering all the components that were required for the ritual, but the ghost had been steadfast in his decision. 

It made Seonghwa excited in a way his profession had never made him before. This was personal. It _meant_ something, regardless of the feelings that he had for Yeosang. His normal clients, while not many, often had their own interests in mind, ones that Seonghwa questioned how they got past the approval committee. But it wasn’t his business to ask about other people’s motives. 

“It’s weird, thinking that those bones used to be me and now… They’re going to be part of me again,” the ghost said, eyes focused on the carefully aligned skeleton in front of them. 

With Yeosang’s cause of death being natural, it had been little work to gather his full remains. His family had been well off and spared no expense in the burial of their youngest child. He would be resurrected fully formed, which not every being had the luxury of. 

Seonghwa needed to check one more time, if only for his own peace of mind. “You’re ready for this then?”

“I am,” Yeosang replied without hesitation. His gaze left the bones and turned to Seonghwa, his expression softening into a smile. “Seonghwa, I’m ready.”

He held his hand out between them, palm facing upwards. Seonghwa reached out, holding his hand just above Yeosang’s. The coldness and intangibility between them would soon become non-existent as Yeosang would have a body once more. 

“It’ll hurt,” Seonghwa said. “The rapid reformation of tissue will leave everything stiff and you might feel claustrophobic, confined into your body again and-”

“Seonghwa. I know. I _know_ because we talked this over. Many times. I can list them all, including the dates if you really want me to.” The smile only grew wider as Yeosang teased Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll see you on the other side, then. This side.”

Yeosang curled his fingers around Seonghwa’s wrist, the digits going through him and sending a spike of numbness through his forearm. “I’ll be able to hold you properly.”

“Yes, you will.”

The fingers retracted as Yeosang pulled away and drifted over to the circle Seonghwa had drawn on the floor, next to his bones. Seonghwa had to clench his fist a few times to get feeling back into it, but as soon as he was ready, he turned his attention to the ritual. Next to him, his spellbook flipped open to the page that he had memorized by now, although Seonghwa always felt reassured having it ready next to him. 

“Then we’ll begin.” Seonghwa held his hands out over the brass bowl, already feeling the inherent magic surrounding him reaching out to the ritual. 

\---

With his connection to the afterlife, Seonghwa felt the faint presence of the entity with the first few steps that he took into the house. It was nothing more than a twinge in the back of his mind, but he felt it, nonetheless. He focused on it every so often as the realtor allowed him to walk around and take the state of the house in. Whatever entity found itself trapped within these walls was mostly dormant, which led Seonghwa to believe that it wasn’t malevolent. It would have reacted to his magic otherwise. 

It made Seonghwa curious, and he had already made up his mind by the time that he met up with the realtor again, prepared to make an offer on the house. He felt comfortable within these walls and, perhaps, if the entity was willing to reach out to him, Seonghwa could help them move on if that was something they wished. 

A ton of paperwork, numerous calls to his bank, and one nerve wracking afternoon waiting to hear back from his realtor later, Seonghwa found himself with the keys in hand and all of his worldly possessions packed and prepared to be taken from his apartment to his new home. 

With the bribe of pizza, Seonghwa was able to get two of his friends, Hongjoong and Wooyoung to help him move in. They were excited for him, knowing how much he’d worked to be able to get himself to the point where he could finally afford to own his own place. 

“How are you going to fill this place?” Hongjoong asked, setting down the bags he was carrying onto the coffee table. 

“Hyung’s right,” Wooyoung said as he started picking through some of Seonghwa’s supplies, ever curious. “All this stuff will barely fill your living room and kitchen, and that’s _including_ all of your magical components.”

“With time. There’s no rush.” Seonghwa ran a hand over one of the walls. As they had been moving in, he focused on the presence once more, but found that it was still dormant. With three magically inclined beings in the house, Seonghwa had thought that maybe they would stir, but no luck so far. 

The only thing that he could think of was that they had been dormant for a long time. 

Wooyoung huffed loudly, closing the box he’d been nosing through. “You know what there is rush for? Pizza! A deluxe with added beef and a barbeque chicken one. I don’t know what you guys want, though.” He came over, hooking his chin on Seonghwa’s shoulder. 

Seonghwa reached up and absentmindedly patted Wooyoung’s head as he grabbed his phone to pull up the website to the pizza place. “Don’t go over fifty dollars.”

It was dangerous to leave Jung Wooyoung with anything of his without supervision for too long, but Seonghwa figured that, as long as he was focused on food, nothing horrible would happen. After being friends with Wooyoung for several years, Seonghwa also knew better than to have anything even slightly incriminating on his phone. 

However, the crow of excitement had Seonghwa shaking his head for a moment as his ear started to ring at the close proximity. 

Hongjoong came up beside him, but not before grabbing hold of Wooyoung’s wrist to keep him still and add in what he wanted to the order, and bumped their arms together. “How does it feel?”

Seonghwa took a deep breath. The day had been a little overwhelming. Not because of all the running around or even his excitable company, but because there was much work that needed to be done. They’d gotten all of his earthly possessions inside and now he just had to take the time and make this house his _home_. “I’m ready for it. A little nervous, admittedly, but ready,” he said with a chuckle, flashing a smile down at Hongjoong. 

“Good. I kinda felt the same when I took over the shop, but you find your groove and settle eventually.” Hongjoong wasn’t looking at Seonghwa, his eyes, instead, lingering on Wooyoung. “He wants to perform a cleansing ritual, y’know. Doesn’t quite know how to ask.”

“Is this a hint that I should ask him?” Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. 

Hongjoong pointed over at his bag, glinting with a multitude of charms and pins, where it sat next to the front door. “We brought everything with us.”

“Thank you. Truly, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa said. Even though he was the oldest between them, Hongjoong was always looking out for him, and he had ever since they first met years ago. If you asked Seonghwa, Hongjoong took on more responsibilities than he needed to, and he’d had that argument with Hongjoong before, but it had never gotten anywhere. The younger really was too stubborn for his own good. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Hongjoong huffed. “You’re one of my most loyal customers and you’re buying me food. Don’t look into it too much.”

“Sure.” Seonghwa decided to let it drop, knowing that he’d already expressed his thanks and that Hongjoong had taken it to heart, as standoffish as he always was around genuine praise. He crossed the room and placed his hands on Wooyoung’s shoulders, and checked to make sure that the order was finished. “How about, after food, you work some of your magic?”

Wooyoung sat up, eyes going wide as they turned to Seonghwa. “Yah! Really, hyung? Yeah! I brought some stuff. I mean, Hongjoongie did, but definitely because I asked. I can do a standard cleansing or something a little more thorough. Up to you.”

He chuckled under his breath. “How much did you bring with you?”

“I’ll show you!” Wooyoung practically catapulted himself off of the couch and ended up almost tripping over his feet, Seonghwa’s phone still in hand, which caused a little bit of mayhem, but everything was kept in one piece by the end of it. 

Besides, it was worth it when they all started laughing together. 

\---

Seonghwa was roused by a kiss to the back of his neck and warm hands running along his spine. He groaned under his breath, squeezing the pillow under his head tighter. “Like waking me up like this.”

There was a low chuckle behind him, followed by a nose nuzzling his hairline. “That I do.”

“Insatiable,” Seonghwa muttered. He lifted his head from the pillow and strained his neck to look over his shoulder at Yeosang. The blonde was sitting next to his hip, but there was a more serious expression on his face than Seonghwa expected, his brows furrowed and nose scrunched up slightly. There was a heavy feeling of worry in Seonghwa’s stomach as he rolled over and sat up. “What is it?”

“I-” Yeosang sighed and reached up to rub the bottom half of his face. “I think I want to go outside today.”

Seonghwa blinked at Yeosang, taking in his words. 

It had been a little over three weeks since the ritual. Yeosang had adjusted fairly well, all things considered. The first few days had been rough, with Yeosang struggling to fall asleep and often waking up disoriented, scratching at his skin and even drawing blood on one occasion. They’d tried out a few different things to help him sleep, including a tea that Hongjoong brought over and setting up a consistent schedule and ritual before bed, and they managed to get Yeosang’s lingering side effects under control. 

There were still days where Yeosang sat in his old room for a few hours and just stared out the window, not making a sound and barely moving, but he’d told Seonghwa not to worry about it. 

Even though he might want to help, there was only so much that Seonghwa could do for Yeosang. Besides always being by his side, it was up to Yeosang to set up the pace of his reintegration into the world of the living. 

“Are you sure?” Seonghwa wanted to make sure that Yeosang had thought this over. That he wanted to do it rather than feel like he _had_ to. 

Yeosang took a deep breath, nostrils flaring before he slowly exhaled. “Yes. I want to. Today.”

With a smile, Seonghwa reached over and placed a hand on Yeosang’s. “Okay. How about we eat something, get dressed, and then we’ll go?”

“Let’s get dressed and go now.” He turned his hand in Seonghwa’s grip and intertwined their fingers. “I want to. I don’t want to be-”

The beat of silence dragged on for a few seconds. Seonghwa squeezed Yeosang’s hand, thinking to himself how brave Yeosang was. He was relearning so much. About himself and about how much the world had advanced since his passing. “You don’t have to be scared,” Seonghwa said, knowing the word that Yeosang was struggling to say. “I’ll be there with you.”

They got ready together. Even though they’d purchased some clothes online for Yeosang, the blonde went for one of Seonghwa’s sweaters. A black one, styled so it looked like there were tears in it. Another article of clothing that Yeosang had quickly grown to love were jeans. Already, he was amassing a collection that was bigger than Seonghwa’s, and he spent a good minute looking over two pairs of black jeans before deciding on one. What the difference was, Seonghwa couldn’t tell, but he knew that Yeosang was pretty particularly about his clothing. A result of first always being told what to wear and then, later, being confined to sleep clothes during his illness, Yeosang said. 

It was a bit of a dreary day, really, Seonghwa thought, as they went outside. The sun was behind the clouds and there was a slight breeze, but the look on Yeosang’s face as they stepped outside was worth _everything_. 

He took his time, hesitating at the front door. Yeosang knew what the street that they lived on looked like. He’d grown up in this house and he’d been looking outside the window for weeks. But Seonghwa couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his mind. 

Seonghwa went out first, zipping up his jacket as he walked down the steps and onto the path, pausing by the little gate that marked the edge of the property.

Yeosang’s eyes were wide when he looked back, and his mouth was opened just enough that Seonghwa could see a glimpse of his white teeth. The wind blew by them, rustling Yeosang’s bangs as his eyes darted around. 

When Yeosang finally started walking, it was one slow step at a time. A foot onto the stair below him, then the other to settle down next to it. He took each of the seven steps like that, his eyes focused on them like he was afraid that he might stumble over his own feet. When he joined Seonghwa, his breathing was slow and measured, but audible.

Seonghwa reached out, brushing his hand over Yeosang’s fingers from where they were barely poking out of the sleeves. 

Yeosang’s breathing hitched, but his hand quickly shot out and latched onto Seonghwa’s hand rather tightly. 

“Shall we, love?” Seonghwa whispered.

Nodding his head, Yeosang reached out to open the gate. “Yes, let’s go.”

Perhaps Yeosang was taken by a moment of boldness, as he was the one that stepped out onto the sidewalk, tugging Seonghwa after him. He didn’t hesitate after that either, barely giving Seonghwa the chance to shut the gate behind them before he was off, walking along the sidewalk. 

Seonghwa quickened his pace to settle at Yeosang’s side, more than happy to let Yeosang be the one to dictate where they were going. The neighbourhood that they lived in was old and rustic, still mostly inhabited by elderly people and a few younger families and couples scattered around here and there. It wasn’t likely that they were going to bump into anyone that would have any cause to stop them or look at them, particularly with the slight chill to the weather. 

They walked on in silence, never once coming to a full stop, as Yeosang barely took a moment to look at the road before he crossed the street. Seonghwa had needed to pull him back once or twice to keep him from stepping out in front of a car, but Yeosang would take it in stride and follow the sidewalk until the car had passed and they could cross. 

It didn’t feel like Yeosang had a specific destination in mind, but whenever Seonghwa glanced over at him, his eyes were firmly focused ahead of them. There was a slight scrunch to his nose as well. The way that always happened when Yeosang was deep in thought. 

The tips of Seonghwa’s ears were feeling a bit chilled when Yeosang finally came to a halt. Seonghwa didn’t catch on right away, taking two steps before he stopped as well and turned to look at Yeosang. “How are you feeling?”

“I-” Yeosang’s voice was croaky, like it had been when he’d first woken up. “I don’t… Remember where we are anymore.” He took a deep breath. “I was trying- tracing my steps, but this part has changed. So much.”

Seonghwa had no frame of reference, but he trusted Yeosang. “How about I lead now? We’ll get some breakfast and something warm to drink, and then I’ll take you to the park.”

Yeosang’s mouth opened as he let out a soft sound, his free hand coming up to his stomach like he hasn’t given a thought to the fact that they hadn’t eaten yet. He cleared his throat, looking away and raising his hand further to cover the lower half of his face in a way of embarrassment that would never cease to endear Seonghwa. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“I think so too,” Seonghwa said, chuckling before he leaned in to kiss Yeosang’s temple. 

The cafe they went to wasn’t very busy, which was better, judging by the way that Yeosang plastered himself to Seonghwa’s side, just at the sight of the six or so people that were inside. They started simple, with Seonghwa ordering tea for the both of them and breakfast sandwiches, which Yeosang happily devoured after they were sat by a table next to the windows. 

His eyes went wide and his eyebrows lifted as he let out a sound of pleased surprise after the first bite. The look was so excited that Seonghwa couldn’t help but grin and lift his phone to take a quick picture. Mostly to keep for himself to look back on, but also to send on to Hongjoong and Wooyoung, as they were constantly asking for updates on how Yeosang was doing. Perhaps, on their next outing, Seonghwa would take Yeosang to Hongjoong’s shop.

When Seonghwa lowered his phone, he caught sight of some crumbs in the corner of Yeosang’s mouth. “Yeosang, you have something right…” He gestured at his face.

Yeosang blinked over at him before the tip of his tongue peeked out to lick the opposite corner of his mouth. 

“Ah, sorry, other side.”

His tongue took another little swipe on the other side, catching some of the crumbs, but still leaving some behind. 

“I’ll get it.” Seonghwa reached over the table, thumb reaching out to wipe the rest away, but Yeosang’s tongue came out again, the tip brushing against Seonghwa’s finger. With a soft huff, Seonghwa went to try again, but Yeosang just stuck his tongue out again and turned his head. 

They both laughed as Seonghwa stood up from his seat to try and grab Yeosang’s chin to keep him still. It took a few attempts, but Seonghwa was eventually successful at cleaning Yeosang’s mouth up, even if he’d gotten licked a few times. 

He sat down again, grabbing a napkin to wipe his fingers off. “You’re such a messy eater.”

“My mother used to say that often,” Yeosang said, his smile turning wistful. “Both before and during… My illness.”

“It’s good to see that things haven’t changed then,” Seonghwa spoke softly. 

“Is it good?” Yeosang asked. 

“I certainly think so.” 

While he was always around for the resurrection, Seonghwa never got to experience what it was like for those people to adjust to being alive. It was good to know that, in Yeosang’s case, at least, he was staying the same, still exactly like the ghost that Seonghwa had fallen in love with. 

Seonghwa’s eyes trailed outside and he frowned. “We should head home. The clouds have gotten darker.” 

“Can we still go to the park? Quickly?”

“We shouldn’t. If it rains, we only have our jackets, and I think we’d both agree that we don’t want you to get sick,” Seonghwa said. 

“I don’t…” Yeosang slumped in his chair, looking outside with a sigh. His fingers clung to the inside of his sleeves. “But I also don’t want to go back inside yet. Is there a way to see a part of it?”

He was going to have to make a point of not allowing Yeosang to get his way too often, but this was the first time that they’d stepped out of the house, Seonghwa could make an exception. “We’ll walk the outer path, but we’ve got to be quick about it.”

“Then what are we waiting for!” Yeosang sprung up from his chair, grabbing his jacket and zipping it up immediately.

As they walked, Seonghwa kept an eye on the clouds, not one bit too pleased about the way that they looked. Particularly because the wind had gotten colder as well. Still, they kept up a brisk pace, Yeosang’s arm wrapped around Seonghwa’s, even when they finally made it to the park. 

It was foolish of Seonghwa to think that there might be a chance that they could make it home when it started raining, because they were about halfway there when he felt the first droplets. 

Home was still further away, and there was still the possibility that the shower wouldn’t last long, so Seonghwa quickly steered Yeosang to one of the covered picnic areas as it started to rain harder. They’d mostly avoided getting wet, but that didn’t stop Yeosang from holding a hand out from under the shelter. 

“It’s cold.” Yeosang’s lips curled into a small smile. “I haven’t felt rain since I was a child.”

“I’m glad I can be here for you to rediscover it,” Seonghwa said. 

“Cute.”

The hairs on the back of Seonghwa’s neck stood on end. Had someone else walked over to hide from the rain as well? He hadn’t seen anyone around. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Seonghwa looked over his shoulder, freezing when he saw that there was no one under the shelter with them. He’d heard a voice, clear as day. Hadn’t he? A shaky breath left him as his eyes darted around. He and Yeosang were really the only people around. The prickling at his neck went down, but didn’t leave fully.

“Sorry for what, Seonghwa?” Yeosang’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. 

“Sorry… That it’s raining.” He turned and flashed a smile at Yeosang. “We would’ve had more time to enjoy the park otherwise.”

“That’s okay.” Yeosang reached up, placing a hand on Seonghwa’s neck and pulling him closer. “I saw on the television that kissing during the rain is romantic.”

Pushing aside what just happened, Seonghwa focused on Yeosang again, settling a hand on the blonde’s hip. “I think what you were watching probably had people kissing _in_ the rain, love.”

“Same difference. Either way, I get to kiss you.”

The chill on Seonghwa’s neck disappeared when Yeosang’s hand slid to the back of it as he pulled him in for a kiss.

\---

Once everything was unpacked, which only took a few days because of how little Seonghwa owned, he decided that it was a good time to try and narrow down what the entity was that left a tangible presence in the house. It was still dormant, despite Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung having been around every single day. There was no reaction, which led Seonghwa to believe that whatever had settled in this house was in a very deep rest. 

Which added another layer of intrigue for Seonghwa. 

The house, itself, was old, and likely had a very rich history to it. It wouldn’t be too difficult for Seonghwa to go out and discover the records of previous homeowners, particularly since this had once been a richer neighbourhood, but he decided not to. 

If anything, Seonghwa wanted to discover the secrets of the house organically, by just following his instincts and magic. 

All it took was an afternoon of exploring every nook and cranny in the house for Seonghwa to narrow down where the presence was the strongest. It was one of the smaller bedrooms at the front of the house, with one large, horizontal window that looked out into the street. He hadn’t been sure what to do with this room, perhaps make it into a guest room or an office of sorts, but with this revelation, Seonghwa decided that he wasn’t going to do anything in particular with it. 

However, one thing that he did do was purchase the most comfortable armchair that he could find and set it down in front of the window.

(Getting the armchair up had been a chore and a half because, not only was it heavy, Seonghwa also had to deal with a loudly complaining Wooyoung as they struggled to carry it up the stairs.)

So it became a habit of Seonghwa’s to take short breaks in the room. He would sit down with a cup of tea, his spellbook, or, sometimes, nothing at all, with the hope that just his being in the room would slowly coax the entity into wakefulness. 

After roughly five weeks, Seonghwa felt the first shift.

He’d been leaning back in the chair, fingers wrapped around a glass of iced tea - made from a blend that Seonghwa had gotten from Hongjoong - and watching as three of his neighbours from across the street were talking when he felt it.

Seonghwa held his breath as there was the sensation of tightness before an extended relaxation. Almost as if the room itself was taking a deep breath. 

“Hello. I’m glad that you’ve chosen to wake up.”

\---

One thing that Yeosang refused to allow Seonghwa to do was carry him around. “I was unable to move by myself for years. Did you think that your dick was going to keep me from walking to the bathroom by myself? Think again.”

That didn’t stop Yeosang from leaning against him when they were in the shower, but he thought he hid it well by preoccupying himself with washing Seonghwa off. It had fooled Seonghwa the first few times, but he knew better by now. Not that he was going to say anything about it. 

Sometimes Yeosang liked staying in the shower when Seonghwa got out, plopping down into the tub and plugging the drain to allow the water to fill up as it rained down over him. Seonghwa always left him with a kiss and the promise to come back to check on him, since Yeosang tended to stay until the boiler ran out of hot water. 

It made Seonghwa happy that one of the previous tenants had splurged and installed the largest boiler on the market. 

He went downstairs, dressed comfortably in sweatpants and a warm sweater. It was starting to get colder, but not quite enough, in his opinion, to warrant the usage of the heating yet. Seonghwa liked to shuffle around in his thick, woollen socks as well, the glide of the hardwood floor making it easy. It wasn’t that late in the evening, so Seonghwa decided to make a snack for them to enjoy when Yeosang joined him again. Maybe they could curl up on the couch and watch a movie. 

As Seonghwa was looking through the pantry, his phone rang. He glanced over at where it sat on the counter as it rang once, then stopped. 

“Weird,” he muttered to himself before going back to the pantry. 

Calls were a rarity for him. Usually they only came in once the committee required the usage of his necromantic magic, but even those were few and far in between. 

Seonghwa huffed under his breath as he grabbed what he wanted from the pantry and set everything down on the counter. He moved over to the fridge next, pulling out the cheese sticks that Yeosang liked to eat and he wiggled his toes in his socks as the chill from the appliance drifted down to the floor. 

Even when Seonghwa started moving around, his feet didn’t warm up. If anything, it felt like they were only getting colder. He was able to ignore it for a few minutes, but it started getting uncomfortable pretty quickly. With a step, Seonghwa realized that it felt like the underside of his sock was wet. How hadn’t he noticed that before? He leaned against the counter and lifted his foot, to feel his sock, which was dry as could be. 

Seonghwa frowned and rubbed his foot in an attempt to warm it up again, but when he set it back down, it just felt like he stepped into a cold puddle. “What in the world?” He muttered under his breath, taking a few steps.

It only made his foot colder.

The chilling sensation spread to his other foot as well and Seonghwa went to the thermostat to check the temperature. There was no reason for it to feel this cold. He knelt down, placing his hand on the ground and hissing as a chill travelled up his fingers. 

“Seonghwa!”

He yelped, jolting at the sudden call of his name, slipping and falling on his ass. Part of him expected the peculiar chill to take hold there as well, but it didn’t spread. In fact, as Seonghwa moved his toes, he could feel the warmth coming back to them.

“Yes?” Seonghwa called out in response and he pushed himself up as his phone started ringing again. 

Once. Twice.

Stopped.

“The water got cold! Am I dressing for downstairs or are we going back to bed?” Yeosang asked. 

As he opened his mouth to reply, his ringtone started up once more. Seonghwa walked over to the counter without much haste. By the time he got to it, it had stopped again, the screen showing three missed calls. Each from a regional phone number. He switched the setting to _do not disturb_. If someone really needed him, they would’ve left a voicemail.

“I’m making snacks! We’re not eating them in the bedroom!” Seonghwa would much rather not sleep in sheets that were covered in crumbs. Yeosang’s messy eating habits stuck with him, no matter where they were eating.

Something nagged at the back of his mind, and Seonghwa went to the front door to inspect the warding charm that Wooyoung had put up the day that he’d moved in. It was still complete, showing no wear or breakage of any sort. Designed to ward off anything that didn’t belong to the house, it looked like it was doing its job well.

Seonghwa was only momentarily relieved before his phone started ringing again. 

“Impossible,” he muttered, stalking over to the counter and picking the device up. 

It still showed that it was on _do not disturb_ , and the number displayed was the same one that had called him previously. Seonghwa pushed down forcefully on the accept call icon and brought the phone to his ear with a scowl. 

“What do you want?” Seonghwa bit out.

“Park Seonghwa?” A woman’s voice asked, low and determined.

“Speaking.”

There was an inhale of breath, but it was cut off as a hand enclosed around his wrist and pulled the phone from his ear. 

Yeosang stepped in, holding up the phone to himself. “I’m sorry. You’re calling late. Try again in the morning.” He pulled it away again, nose scrunching up as he located the hang up icon and slid it off to the side. “There. You’re mine for the night.”

“What if they needed something important?” Seonghwa asked, his instinctive politeness coming through even with how annoyed he was. 

“They’ll leave a voicemail.” The phone was unceremoniously set down on the counter and Yeosang stepped over to look at what Seonghwa had grabbed. “Was I in the shower for so short a time? Usually it doesn’t take you this long to prepare snacks.”

He knew that he should think about the phone call and worry about the snacks, but Seonghwa just stepped forward so he could wrap his arms around Yeosang’s shoulders and press his nose against the crown of his head. The blonde hair was still damp under his skin. Chilled from the autumn air, but not enough to actually cling to Seonghwa and take hold of him, like what happened earlier. 

“Are you alright?” Yeosang asked, his hand settling on Seonghwa’s side and gently rubbing up and down. 

“I am. Now, tell me what you and Wooyoung did today.”

There was a scoff and fingers digging into his side in a way that made Seonghwa try to squirm away, but Yeosang was getting stronger, able to keep Seonghwa in place by his arm alone. “Like I was doing before you pushed me down on the bed and ravished me?”

“You weren’t complaining,” Seonghwa said.

“If I complained, you’d just pout at me. But, as I was saying earlier, he took me to this hobby shop and we looked at the different kinds of drones they had for sale.”

\---

The scent of Hongjoong’s shop was never one that Seonghwa could quite decipher. It was likely because decades of various kinds of magical components - herbs, tinctures, alchemical supplies, and questionable fleshy bits in jars - had left their mark on the building. Even the strongest magics wouldn’t be able to fully clean the building anymore. It certainly wasn’t Seonghwa’s favorite scent to stay around in for more than a few hours, so how Hongjoong spent countless hours, daily, in here, was beyond Seonghwa. 

(There was also one memorable week where Hongjoong hadn’t left the store for six days, working on a brew that required constant attention. He’d slept on a collection of decorative pillows he bought from a kitschy store across the way.)

Seonghwa made a point of visiting every so often, even when he didn’t require any supplies. Today, he had some news to share, one that he felt was best conveyed in person rather than over the phone. 

It had been a week since he’d felt the entity within the house stir. While there hadn’t been much activity since, Seonghwa could feel that the presence had gotten stronger and was only growing more so. He didn’t want to say anything, lest they return to their slumber, but now Seonghwa felt relatively certain that it wasn’t going to happen. 

“Are you still sure that it’s benevolent?” Hongjoong asked, not taking his eyes off of the scale as he carefully weighed out some salts.

“It hasn’t reached out to me yet,” Seonghwa said.

“Which means?”

Wooyoung came sweeping out from the side room. “If there was something malicious sleeping in Seonghwa-hyung’s walls, it would’ve tried to lash out at him the moment it woke up, regardless of whether it was fully aware or not.”

The bright colour of Wooyoung’s hair caught Seonghwa’s eye. “You dyed your hair.”

A blinding smile was sent his way, almost amplifying the radiance that usually came off of Wooyoung when accompanied by the purple of his hair. “Do you like it? It’s not going to stay like this for too long, but it should settle into a pretty lilac.” He set a large jar down on the counter with a small box before he sidled up beside Hongjoong and ran fingers through the long hair that rested at Hongjoong’s nape. “I tried to convince Hongjoongie to let me do his as well, but he won’t let me.”

With a hiss of displeasure, Hongjoong tried to swat Wooyoung’s hand away. “Last time, you were trying to convince me to cut my hair.”

“Yeah, but _this_ time, I only suggested dyeing it red,” Wooyoung said with a pout, resting his elbow on top of the benchtop. 

“Ah, Young-ah…” Hongjoong set his jar down, narrowing his eyes at the scale. “You disrupted my flow. I’m point oh-oh-seven grams over.”

Completely unphased by Hongjoong’s admonishment, Wooyoung rolled his eyes, focusing on Seonghwa once more. “You see? I have to deal with this. Deflection, all the time.”

Hongjoong had completely zoned out of the conversation, kneeling down so he was eye level with the scale and muttering under his breath as he held his hand over the small pile of salts, fingers moving as if he was counting. It was only due to the number on the scale changing that Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong was figuring out a way to get the exact amount he required. Whatever small crystals he was removing were too small to catch from where Seonghwa was sitting. 

“You like dealing with it,” Seonghwa reminded Wooyoung. 

The younger man bounced over to where Seonghwa was sitting. “That I do. Which Hongjoong should thank me for!” Wooyoung raised his voice, but Hongjoong didn’t react to him at all, still working on the salts. “What about you, Seonghwa-hyung? Ever thought of dyeing your hair?”

“Not presently,” he said. As nice as it would be, Seonghwa didn’t know if he wanted to put up with the care of it all, particularly with a colour that would fade, like Wooyoung’s would. He’d seen enough people walking around with patchy dyed hair. 

Wooyoung winked at him. “Well, if you ever change your mind.”

“Got it!” Hongjoong crowed in delight, flicking his hand towards the jar, then making a waving motion. The paper that the salts were resting on started folding itself up into a small packet, ready to be picked up by whatever customer had requested it. The lid of the jar spun on by itself as Hongjoong turned to stand next to Wooyoung. “By the way, did you want anything to help with coaxing your new friend out?”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m going to let them appear at their own pace. Who knows how long it’s been since they were awake.” Since the entity was stirring on its own, Seonghwa didn’t want to disrupt its process. It wasn’t like he was impatient to find out who or what was in the house with him. 

“Well, let us know if you need anything.” Hongjoong gestured between him and Wooyoung, eyes focused enough on Seonghwa that he didn’t catch the way that Wooyoung softened next to him. 

One day the two of them would get their act together. It wasn’t as if it was going to change the way that they got along with one another. Seonghwa envied them for that. How they were so intertwined with each other, but still managed to continue doing everything their own way. Maybe that was something he’d find one day. “Yes, of course.”

\---

“How are you feeling? You looked tired when you got home,” Yeosang said with a frown. He crawled onto the bed, and over Seonghwa’s outstretched legs to straddle him. “Did the ritual today drain you?”

It had. The seance had taken much longer than Seonghwa had ever experienced before. The spirit that they had been attempting to contact had been unwilling, and, in the process, Seonghwa spent much more energy than usual in convincing the spirit to converse with them. She had, eventually, and the information that she provided had been invaluable to an ongoing investigation, but Seonghwa was left feeling winded and lethargic. 

Yeosang had taken one look at him when he got home, immediately urging him upstairs to take a nap.

Even now that Seonghwa had rested for a few hours, he could still feel the drain of his magic, his reserves low and his mind struggling to focus on more than one thing. 

Which was why Seonghwa was pleased when Yeosang straddled him, obscuring his view of the room so all he could see was his lover. Seonghwa wrapped his arms around Yeosang, pulling the blonde in closer so he could press his face into the crook of Yeosang’s neck with a silent nod. 

Strong fingers settled on his head, rubbing his scalp and immediately releasing some stress in Seonghwa’s shoulder. 

He closed his eyes, breathing Yeosang in - a mixture of Seonghwa’s soap and the low scent of hair product and Hongjoong’s shop, no doubt because Yeosang was wearing a hoodie that he’d _borrowed_ from Wooyoung - and concentrating on the grounding feeling of his lover’s fingers on him. It made him want to fall asleep again, but Seonghwa could smell the food that Yeosang was warming up. Lasagne, by what he was able to pick up. Growing up in a rich household, Yeosang had never needed to cook for himself and he wasn’t the best, even though he tried to help Seonghwa as much as possible. But putting food in the oven was something that he could accomplish well enough. 

As long as he remembered to set a timer, of course. 

Seonghwa turned his head to the side and Yeosang’s fingers trailed down the back of his neck, which pulled a soft sigh from Seonghwa. He nuzzled the bit of skin exposed at Yeosang’s collar and pressed a gentle kiss there.

He felt the hum Yeosang let out, his lips tingling from the sensation before Yeosang tilted his head up so their eyes could meet. “Would a kiss make you feel better?”

“I don’t know.” Seonghwa smiled up at Yeosang, already letting his fingers toy with the hem of Yeosang’s sweater. “Shall we try?”

There was a low giggle before their lips pressed together and Seonghwa let his eyes slide shut once more. He let himself get lost in the easy slide of their lips. Gentle, tender, and not hurried in any way. It didn’t energize him, but Seonghwa felt comfortable in Yeosang’s warm embrace, butterflies fluttered around inside him as he thought about how lucky he was that he could have this. 

A hand slipped under his collar, trailing over the length of his spine. Chilled fingers made him squirm and Seonghwa pulled away from the kiss just enough to speak up. 

“Sangie, you’re cold.”

“Am I, Park Seonghwa?”

The sound of a feminine voice jolted Seonghwa out of his lull and his eyes snapped open, immediately focusing on the not quite familiar woman straddling him. 

He pulled his hands away instinctively, breathing picking up at the sight of the stranger. And yet, there were small pieces of recognition. The shape of her eyes, the slant of her nose, and the way her lips curled up into a small smirk were all familiar. 

Seonghwa barely had a moment to question what was going on before nails dug into his back and dragged up. 

The searing pain made him jolt, hands coming up to grab her arm and wrenching it out of his shirt. He let out a cry at the sharp chill that cung to his back. His body curled up and he twisted to the side to try and get away from it, his legs tangling in the blankets. 

There was a loud shattering sound that made Seonghwa tense and he gritted his teeth at the stinging of his back. 

“Seonghwa? Hwa, what’s happening?” 

Warm hands settled on him, but a shiver still wracked through Seonghwa’s body. There was a press against his back and he hissed in pain, rolling onto his front to get away from the touch, as gentle as it was. 

“You- You’re bleeding! What the fuck? What the _fuck_?”

Soft fingers pressed against his cheeks and Seonghwa flinched away from them, his eyes snapping open and a gasp leaving him when he saw Yeosang standing by the bed, the pads of his fingers as red as the hoodie that he was wearing. 

“This isn’t normal, right? What do I do? Hwa, please tell me what to do,” Yeosang repeated.

The nickname made Seonghwa relax. The familiarity of it washing over him in comparison to the soft utterance of his full name only moments ago. This was Yeosang. The real Yeosang now. “Phone.”

“Phone? Phone!” Yeosang disappeared from sight, his bare feet slapping against the floor as he ran to the other side of the bed. 

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa rasped out, his throat feeling tight and raw. 

“I got it. Shit, what the _fuck_ ,” Yeosang whispered. His nails clacked against the screen of Seonghwa’s phone and there was a soft dial tone, quickly replaced by a louder one as he turned the speaker on. 

It rang.

Once. 

Twice. 

Then distorted.

Garbled and stuttered.

“-sang.”

A loud crack followed by a clatter and the pinging of glass shards on the ground. 

“No. No, not dealing with any of this bullshit. Seonghwa, I’m picking you up. We’re leaving. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Yeosang came over, giving Seonghwa an apologetic look before he knelt down, back facing Seonghwa, and he grabbed Seonghwa’s arms around wrapping them over his shoulders. 

A soft whimper slipped from Seonghwa’s lips as he was shifted. The lines of sharp pain on his back protesting at the slightest of movements. He could feel something sliding down his back, knew that it couldn’t be anything other than his blood. 

His focus floated after that. He could feel Yeosang’s hands on his thighs, steadying him as they left their room, going down the stairs and swinging around for a moment. There were some beeps, followed by the sound of keys jingling, and all of it encompassed by the constant stream of swears that came from Yeosang. 

One thing that Seonghwa did look at before Yeosang carried him out the door was the ward placed at the entrance. 

It was untouched.

\---

People recounted it differently whenever they had an encounter with a supernatural entity. 

For Seonghwa, it was a gentle brush of air and a pull to whatever direction it was in. 

So, when he entered the spare bedroom and felt a slight tug towards the window, he glanced over immediately, a gentle smile settling on his lips. 

“Hello,” Seonghwa said softly and almost tentatively. It had been three months since he’d moved in. Almost eight weeks had gone by since the first time that he felt the entity stir. It had really been in a deep sleep, considering it had taken so long for it to gain some kind of active presence. 

There was no response. Not that Seonghwa was really expecting one at this point, but he was already more than happy that there was some kind of progress. 

He walked over to the armchair, setting his mug down on the small side table that he’d recently purchased. “I’d welcome you to my home, but you were here first, weren’t you?”

If Seonghwa were to describe the way this entity felt, the first thought that came to mind was that it was light, just like the presence had been while it had still been sleeping. The main difference was that there was some kind of direction this time around. One that was almost hesitant. 

Unsure of what to do. 

Seonghwa wondered if this entity had ever been fully aware or if it had gone straight into slumber when it remained. 

“Can you tell me anything? Do you want anything?” Seonghwa questioned.

The presence sharpened for a split second and it sent a spike of excitement through Seonghwa, one that he knew wasn’t his own. It coalesced by the window, the latch shuddering for a moment.

“The window?” He stepped forward, flipping the latch up. The excitement grew stronger and almost vibrated as Seonghwa pulled the window open, fresh air filling the room immediately. 

Everything settled in that moment. Almost as if there was a sigh of relief and relaxation just by the simple act of opening the window. 

“I’ll keep it open from now on, okay?”

Seonghwa figured that the soft brush against his arm was the entity’s way of thanking him. 

\---

“I don’t get it. My ward is still strong. Not only that, but hyung’s magic is powerful enough to sense when a spirit capable of something like _this_ is around.” Wooyoung looked up from his phone where he’d been inspecting the pictures Hongjoong had taken of the ward when he’d raced over to pick Yeosang and Seonghwa up. His brows were pinched, the corners of his mouth downturned in a way that made Seonghwa’s stomach roil uncomfortably. 

He hissed under his breath as Hongjoong finished wrapping the wounds on his back. Obviously, Seonghwa hadn’t been able to see them himself, but he figured that they couldn’t be as horrible as he initially thought, considering Hongjoong had only applied a paste to the cuts before he began bandaging them. 

“Wooyoung, this isn’t your fault,” Seonghwa reassured the younger man.

Wooyoung’s jaw visibly clenched, the tip of his tongue peeking out as he licked his lips. “How can it not be? Something malevolent enough to physically _hurt_ you was in your house. I must’ve missed a line somewhere.”

“You’ll have to sleep on your stomach for a few days, but you’ll be fine.” Small hands patted Seonghwa’s shoulder before Hongjoong stepped around him to approach Wooyoung. “Young-ah, you said it yourself. The ward is whole and it’s serving its purpose. This has to be something else, so think. What could it be?”

This was all magic that Seonghwa didn’t have much understanding of, even with the amount of times that Wooyoung had attempted to sit him down and talk him through it. Instead, Seonghwa let his eyes trail across the room, where Yeosang sat, eyes pointed down to the floor. 

Seonghwa got up, slowly to take care of his back, and went over to Yeosang. “I’m sorry,” he said when he stood in front of the blonde. 

Dark eyes instantly snapped up, coming into sharp focus when they settled on Seonghwa. “Sorry? What for?”

“What happened. You could’ve been in danger because of me.”

Yeosang’s nose scrunched as his eyes narrowed at Seonghwa. “So you’re sorry for something you couldn’t control?”

“Yes,” he replied with a nod. 

“I used to say that too. To my family.”

“Why?”

“I told them often that I was sorry that I was so sickly. That I couldn’t be the son that my parents wanted. That I couldn’t keep up with the tutoring sessions that my sister planned for me,” Yeosang said. 

“You couldn’t do anything about that.”

A sleek eyebrow lifted up. “Just like you couldn’t with this. Even though I don’t understand your magic or Hongjoong’s and Wooyoung’s… You didn’t feel it. Woo’s ward didn’t stop it. So there has to be a different factor involved.”

Next to them, Hongjoong cleared his throat and their attention turned to him. He gave them a tight lipped smile, a quick look of apology at interrupting them. “Wooyoung wants to check your aura, Seonghwa. Wants to see if anything is sticking to you.”

“Don’t bother,” Yeosang said. He got up and levelled both Seonghwa and Hongjoong with a stern look. “He needs to look at me.”

“Sangie…”

“I’m the outlier, Seonghwa. You told me before I was resurrected that you needed to keep an eye on me, just in case. It’s possible that whatever this thing is is only around because of me.”

Yeosang’s mind was sharp. It was true that he didn’t know much about magic besides the few things that he had discussed with the three of them, but him having an outside view allowed him to remain objective about everything that was happening. As much as it pained Seonghwa to think that Yeosang was right about this, it was a possibility that they couldn’t discount. 

Seonghwa knew the short term consequences of resurrection quite well, having experienced them repeatedly, but anything long term? He was already out of the picture by then. Theoretically, he knew of some aftereffects, but nothing that he’d seen personally. 

As much as Seonghwa hoped that Yeosang wasn’t part of what was happening, it wasn’t a possibility that they could ignore, and Wooyoung agreed with them when he came back with the supplies that he needed for his ritual. 

Seonghwa’s heart pounded in his chest watching Wooyoung and Yeosang sit across from one another in the circle that the younger had drawn on the ground. There was a small mirror between them, and two bowls at the edge of the circle filled with burning components. The smell was a bit acrid to Seonghwa. Bitter and clinging to the inside of his nostrils every time that he breathed in. 

Throughout all of Wooyoung’s explanations, Yeosang didn’t flinch. In fact, he barely even blinked. Just a flat expression on his face, and nodding whenever Wooyoung asked him if he understood something. 

The ritual itself was simple. Nothing invasive at all. Still, that didn’t keep Seonghwa from being worried. How would Yeosang react if it turned out that Wooyoung was able to read something off of him? What would that mean for them in the long run? Seonghwa supposed that it all depended on what, exactly, Wooyoung read. 

He and Hongjoong stood next to each other at the edge of the room, at the furthest point away from the circle. A brush of Hongjoong’s elbow against his arm was a bit of a reassurance, particularly knowing that Hongjoong wasn’t the most tactile person, and Seonghwa knew that Wooyoung was skilled in what he was doing. There was nothing to worry about on that side of things. 

Seonghwa hung on every word that Wooyoung uttered. The air grew heavy, the smoke from the bowls growing darker and thicker to the point where Seonghwa needed to pinch his nose to keep himself from breathing in the acrid scent too much. 

A shiver went down his spine when he felt a brush of air by his neck and his eyes were pulled to the mirror on the ground just as a crack skittered down the middle of the glass. There was a sharp chill to Seonghwa’s back that made him wince.

Then, the mirror shattered. 

A loud scream echoed through the room, making Seonghwa’s ears ring. He slapped his hands over them as his head spun, and his stomach roiled uncomfortably. 

Even through his hands, Seonghwa heard a whisper.

The same voice that he’d heard in the park. On his phone. In his dream. 

“ _Ryusang_.”

Seonghwa shuddered again, his back aching, and feeling off balance, but he looked over at the center of the room. The circle was littered with shards of the mirror and the bowls were knocked over, their contents strewn over the floor and no longer burning. Hongjoong was kneeling next to Wooyoung, one hand on his chin and the other hovering over what looked to be a smattering of cuts across his cheek.

Yeosang sat still in the circle. His back rigid, but unmoved. 

Seonghwa hurried over, kneeling down neck to Yeosang, and paying no mind to how the shards dug into his knees, threatening to pierce his skin through his sleeping pants. “Sangie? Are you hurt, love?”

However, as Seonghwa turned to look at Yeosang, he saw that there weren’t any marks on him. In fact, looking down, there were some shards piled up in front of Yeosang, lined up and bunched together, almost like something had kept them from reaching him. 

“Tether.”

Seonghwa looked over at Wooyoung, whose eyes were focused on Yeosang. 

“He’s acting as a tether. That’s why the wards didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. It could be that you didn’t feel anything because it was only able to act out depending on how Yeosang was feeling, Seonghwa,” he explained. 

“It…” Seonghwa took what Wooyoung was saying, trying to piece it together in his mind. It was certainly a possibility. That day in the rain. The floor getting cold when Yeosang was in the cooling shower. The fact that it took Yeosang’s form in his dream. “It- _she_ has said my name a few times. And just now, she said Ryusang.”

Beside him, Yeosang finally moved. His hands clung to Seonghwa’s bicep, almost digging into his skin with how tightly he was holding on. “Hwa. That’s what you heard?”

Seonghwa nodded, reaching up to rub Yeosang’s hands in the hopes that the touch would help him relax. “Yes. Do you know who that is?”

“Me,” Yeosang said. “That’s me. It’s my other name. And there’s only one person who consistently called me that.”

“Who, love?”

“My sister.”

\---

The spirit, and Seonghwa felt comfortable calling it that at this point, started leaving the spare bedroom a few weeks after Seonghwa opened the window for the first time. It hovered over Seonghwa’s shoulder often, whenever he was sitting in his armchair and going along with his business, like he’d been doing for a while now. Sometimes it followed him to the door, but never crossed the threshold. 

He’d invited them to follow him a few times, but they’d never directly taken him up on his offer. 

It was one day, while he was in the middle of wiping the floors down when he felt the telltale sign of the spirit nearing him. Seonghwa could sense the general direction, knew that it was coming down the stairs, but he didn’t look up or stop what he was doing. The spirit was cautious. It didn't do much but wander around for a few minutes before its presence dissipated again. Perhaps leaving the room had taken much of its energy. 

Seonghwa was content to let the spirit explore over the next few days, always giving it space to do whatever it wished. Most of the time, it just wandered around, going from room to room, like it was trying to refamiliarize itself with the space. 

Only when it started hovering around him did Seonghwa start speaking to them. 

They were simple things at first. Mostly just Seonghwa explaining what he was doing. A little bit about who he was, what he did, and often added anecdotes about what was going on in the world. 

The spirit was intrigued about that a lot. Seonghwa could always feel their presence grow heavier against him as he spoke. 

What really got it excited was when Seonghwa mentioned that he had to bring Hongjoong to the airport. The presence surrounded him, clung to his skin in a way that nearly felt physical.

“Do you like flying?” Seonghwa asked, chuckling under his breath as the air around him practically vibrated with excitement.

He went to his bookcase, pulling out several encyclopedias that he kept and sometimes lugged around him on his jobs, and placed them on the dining room table. “Tell me what you like,” he said. 

The front cover of one of the books quivered for a few seconds before it flung open. A small indent appeared on the page, the paper making a crinkling sound as a single page was flipped. If Seonghwa focused, he could make out the vague outline of a hand. The fingers were long, almost dainty, but the hand looked strong, with visible tendons and veins that grew more prominent as each page was flipped. 

Seonghwa was ready to just let the spirit take their time before there was a soft huff, then a large chunk of pages were flipped in one go, continuing on in smaller intervals until the pages settled again with a moment of silence. 

One more page flipped, before a finger settled on an entry. 

Seonghwa leaned in. “Hot air balloon. Aircraft.” He smiled. “Were you ever in one?”

He caught sight of a head nodding in his peripheries. Blonde hair, and a smudge of red by the corner of their eye. That was all Seonghwa was able to see before the spirit’s visage faded once more. 

“If you’d like to share, I’d love to hear about it one day,” Seonghwa said. Although he wasn’t able to see the spirit anymore, he could feel a gentle acquiescence and another hint that gave him the feeling of a smile.

\---

“Thank you for providing me with these supplies, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa moved his eyes from where Wooyoung was using chalk to mark down the final lines of the ward. He’d suggested going back to the house to call up the spirit of Yeosang’s sister, but Hongjoong shot that down immediately, telling Seonghwa that the supplies were in the shop anyways and he wanted to keep an eye on everyone after what had been happening. 

“You’d just use your own and buy replacements with me anyways, it’s fine.” Hongjoong crossed his arms over his chest, a toe tapping on the ground. “Last chance to back down. You and Yeosang can sleep at our place for the night, rest up before we do this.”

As much as Hongjoong acted aloof at times, Seonghwa knew how much he cared. He nudged Hongjoong’s shoulder with his own, ducking down a little to do so. “Thanks. But I think Yeosang and I would like to sleep in our own bed tonight.”

Hongjoong’s shoulders lifted as he breathed in deeply and slumped when he exhaled. “Okay, okay, I get it. I still have permission to cut off the ritual should there be any complications, right?”

“As long as you deem it safe to do so.”

Grumbling under his breath, Hongjoong moved off, already poking through a small satchel that he’d brought to the room with him. There could be a multitude of things in there, knowing Hongjoong and his tendency to want to be prepared for anything possible, and it reassured Seonghwa that he was doing so much to help him and Yeosang. 

Yeosang, who had gone quiet since they figured out that the spirit that had been looming over Seonghwa’s shoulder was his sister. They’d spoken a bit, of course, but Yeosang was almost hyper focused now. Even sharper than he’d been when Wooyoung had read his aura. 

There was no changing his mind either. He told Seonghwa that he wanted answers and wasn’t about to wait for them. Seonghwa felt the same, so he’d be relieved to hear that Yeosang wanted this done with too. 

“I’m ready,” Seonghwa said, approaching Yeosang, who was standing by the brass bowl on the table. 

“I am, as well.” Yeosang’s gaze didn’t move away. 

There was a small knife on the table and Seonghwa grabbed it, giving it a once over even though he’d been the one to thoroughly wash it only a few minutes before. “Finger, please.”

Yeosang lifted his hand, palm up, and Seonghwa wrapped his fingers around Yeosang’s wrist. Like this, he could feel how fast Yeosang’s heart was racing, contrary to his current, cool exterior. Seonghwa leaned in, kissing each of Yeosang’s fingertips before he lifted the knife and cut deep enough for a few drops of blood to collect on the blade. Once there was enough, Seonghwa shook the blood off into the bowl. 

“Speak her name.”

“Kang Jihye. Show yourself to me.” His voice hitched as he spoke, Yeosang’s hand falling to his side with a slight tremble.

Seonghwa had experienced many of these rituals, but he’d never conducted one in which the spirit responded immediately. 

The woman that stood in front of them was the same that he had seen in his dream before. For all that Seonghwa wished that he had seen wrong in his shock, Kang Jihye couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than Yeosang’s sister. Their facial features were too similar, and even the way that they stood mirrored one another. Somehow standing relaxed, while still giving off that vibe that they could shift at any moment. 

“Ryusang. It took you a while to notice,” Jihye said. The voice made the cuts on Seonghwa’s back sting. 

“You weren’t targeting me.”

She smiled, the expression lightening up her face even as she chuckled lowly. “I piggybacked off of you. However, you were too distracted by your lover and new life. Father would be disappointed in you, truly.”

Yeosang’s breath hitched. His nose twitched, but didn’t reach the point where it scrunched up. “Father never taught us how to sense the supernatural.”

“Much like the way that he never taught you personally. Or do you not recall that?”

“Of course I remember. You taught me everything, Jihye-noona. Until I was too sick to do so.” The wistful tone in Yeosang’s voice made Seonghwa want to reach out and touch him, but he didn’t want to interrupt the sibling’s conversation. 

Jihye shook her head, although the smile didn’t fade from her visage. “That I did.”

There was a beat of silence as they regarded one another. Jihye’s expression didn’t change, even when Yeosang opened his mouth and froze for a second, letting out a sigh before his teeth clacked together. His hands moved at his side, fingers curling around his sleeves. “Noona, why are you doing this? You hurt Seonghwa.”

“Park Seonghwa,” she said, slowly turning her gaze to Seonghwa and tilting her head to the side. “Yes, he brought you back to life. You wanted to live the life with him that you never got before… You weren’t supposed to die, Ryusang.”

“What- Why do you say it like that?” Yeosang asked. 

“The young cook added too much of the herbs into your last meal. You were simply to remain ill until father finally realized that his young son would never strengthen.” The chill to the room grew colder still. 

“I don’t-” Yeosang licked his lips, his hands coming up in front of him and wringing together. “I don’t understand.”

Jihye sighed softly, reminding Seonghwa of a disappointed mother. “You were born late to our parents. They had set aside the possibility of a male heir and, instead, turned their focus to me. One day, I would take over father’s business, and I studied alongside the greatest tutors, all until you were born. They became less as you grew and I, being foolish, thought it was because I had learned what I required, but it was all because the focus was shifting to you instead.”

“So… You made me sick, somehow?”

“No. You contracted an illness of your own. I simply made it so you were not able to recover fully,” Jihye said. 

Seonghwa felt sick looking at Jihye. Through all of this, her general demeanor hadn’t changed. If he didn’t know any better, Seonghwa would say that she was like any older sibling speaking to their younger sibling. There was a misplaced warmth and fondness to her words, only a few moments of sharpness interspersed here and there. 

“I was a _child_. And you watched me waste away for _years_. Do you have any idea how hard that was? I couldn’t leave my bed- all I wanted was to fly. I would’ve given everything to you. You wouldn’t even have had to convince me,” Yeosang choked out, a hand over his mouth and muffling his words, but not lessening the impact of them.

“You know that possibility was never open to either of us.” The smile fell from Jihye’s lips. “You were never meant to die, Ryusang. I love you-”

“Clearly not as much as you loved the thought of taking over father’s company,” he hissed out. “And even now, you can’t leave well enough alone.”

There was a twitch in Jihye’s eye and, for a split second, Seonghwa imagined her lashing out, spitting fire at them, and fighting against the constraints of Wooyoung’s wards, but she did none of that. Instead, she straightened her back and held her chin up high. 

“I nearly got everything I wanted, but in the end it was not satisfactory. You passed away, and the moment you found _him_ , you were happy. Yet, for myself, something was missing.”

“Me. _I_ was missing. You caused my death.”

“I told you, Ryusang, the cook did that-”

“Under your orders. I remember how much he fancied you. He must’ve done everything for you. And you… You got the life that you wanted and it still wasn’t enough. I have a second chance to live. You took that away from me, and even now, you can’t leave me alone. But you will.” Yeosang finally turned to Seonghwa, his eyes bloodshot and face covered in tears. “You can exorcise her or whatever, right?”

It was something that Seonghwa had been planning all along, this just wasn’t the way that he wanted it to happen. “I can help her pass through the veil, yes.”

Yeosang nodded. “Then do it.”

“Yeosang… I can’t undo this.”

“I’m done with her and the life I had before.” A shaking hand came up and clung to the hem of Seonghwa’s sweater. “I asked you to bring me back so we could start a life together. _This_ is how I can finally do that.”

“Are you sure?”

“More sure than I’ve been about anything in my life and undeath,” Yeosang said. 

Seonghwa sighed softly, but leaned in to kiss Yeosang’s forehead. “Alright. Why don’t you stand with Wooyoung and Hongjoong?”

Yeosang’s hand clung tighter, tugging the shirt down and exposing more of Seonghwa’s collar to the cold air. “I want to be here when she leaves.”

This wasn’t something that Seonghwa was going to deny Yeosang. If the blonde felt like he needed this, then Seonghwa wasn’t going to push him away, even if he felt like it wasn’t the best for Yeosang to remain by his side. However, compromises had to be made. This was a large one, but not one worth fighting over. 

When Seonghwa turned to Jihye, his fingers dipping into the brass bowl, she leaned in closer, causing the ward to shimmer. “You had better take care of him, Park Seonghwa.”

“I’ll take care of him better than you ever did, Kang Jihye,” Seonghwa said. 

The symbol was one that he had drawn dozens of times before, but this one felt like it took an eternity to set. In between Jihye’s unmoving, hard gaze, and Yeosang clinging to him, Seonghwa felt emotionally and mentally drained by the time he completed the symbol. He uttered a few words under his breath, watching as the symbol flashed for a moment, then faded, along with the spirit of Jihye.

Yeosang let out a sob, and Senghwa wrapped both of his arms around his waist, holding tightly when he felt Yeosang’s weight pressed against him. Soft cries echoed in the room, only broken by the faint click of the door closing as Hongjoong and Wooyoung slipped out. 

They stood there, wrapped around one another, even as the room grew darker as the sun set, leaving them only with the humming strip of light above their heads. 

When Yeosang finally lifted his head, his face was red and splotchy, and there were tears stubbornly clinging to his eyelashes. “I love you. So damn much.”

“I love you too,” Seonghwa said, sniffling in the aftermath of his own tears. 

“I hate her- What she did. But she gave me you. And you make me so happy.” Yeosang’s voice was shaky, but determined. 

“I agree.” Seonghwa wiped the tears from Yeosang’s cheek, sliding his hand down to cup his cheek. “I wouldn’t trade you for anything in this world or any other. The only thing I want is to go home.”

Yeosang chuckled, leaning into Seonghwa’s hand. “Yes, take me home.”

Seonghwa pressed a kiss against Yeosang’s forehead, holding his lips there for a few seconds before he pulled away. “One day soon, I’ll take you flying. I’ve seen hot air balloon rides advertised before.”

“You hate heights.”

“You’re right. I’ll convince Wooyoung to go with you.”

There was another chuckle, then lips pressed against his own, and Seonghwa held Yeosang close. 

\---

The first time that Seonghwa laid his eyes on the spirit, it was when he was going to the spare room to shut the window. 

On any normal occasion, Seonghwa should’ve been startled to see a young man standing by the open window, but he had been catching glimpses of this spirit for weeks now. Being able to see him fully formed brought a smile to Seonghwa’s lips. 

“Hello there.”

Dark eyes shifted from the window over to Seonghwa, widening for a brief moment. “Hello?”

“I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while. My name is Park Seonghwa,” he said. 

The spirit’s nose scrunched up for a moment, a small gesture that made Seonghwa smile even more, looking deep in thought. “My name. It’s… Yeosang.”

“Yeosang,” Seonghwa repeated the name for himself. “It’s nice to properly greet you. I look forward to learning more about you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is the first time I've written something like this, so I'd love if you could leave a comment! Let me know what you think~


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